MGB & GT Forum

And They Said it Couldn't be Done

Topic List Forum List Newer Older Start New Topic

And They Said it Couldn't be Done #1
ssmith579 Steve Smith Ventura, CA, USA Sign in to contact 1974 MG MGB	Topic Creator (OP) Oct 1, 2014 09:16 PM Joined 9 years ago 343 Posts

I thought the distributor drive shaft could only go in 2 ways???

IMG_1348[1].JPG 48.5 KB

Was this post helpful or interesting?

Yes No Thank

Sponsored Links. Become a

Supporting Member to hide this ad & support a small business

Re: And They Said it Couldn't be Done #4
ssmith579 Steve Smith Ventura, CA, USA Sign in to contact 1974 MG MGB	Topic Creator (OP) Oct 1, 2014 09:35 PM Joined 9 years ago 343 Posts

Looks like it was just randomly placed. I thought I read it could only be right or 180 out. Anyway, the problem I had was the oil line interfering once zI got the timing set right.

In reply to # 2812844 by sockit I'm pretty sure it goes in as many ways as there are gear teeth. The determining factors are 1) the orientation of the distributor relative to where the rotor contacts the number 1 spark plug terminal (which can be infinitely adjusted by slackening the pinch bolt), and 2) that said distributor doesn't bump into something else when it is oriented per number 1, which probably does not have an infinite number of available positions. Like maybe the vacuum advance unit could interfere with the oil line, or some other thing.

Was this post helpful or interesting?

Yes No Thank

Re: And They Said it Couldn't be Done #5
mac townsend Fairfield, CA, USA Sign in to contact 1973 MG MGB MkIII	Oct 1, 2014 09:40 PM Top Contributor Joined 18 years ago 24,294 Posts

the gear can go in lotsa ways. The distributor dog can only properly go in one way, due to the offset.

it IS POSSIBLE to cram the dog against the face of the gear, meaning it won't go in that last 3/16' and properly engage, but you can then still cinch it down and have a friction drive distributor. That will drive you nuts because it won;t act the way it should, won;t time well, and such. But nothing will pop up and say, "hey dummy, you did it wrong"

same thing with putting the gear in wrong.

Assuming you had the crank in the right position when inserting the gear (probably not a good assumption<G>--there are instructions in the shop manual for this) if you hook up drive dog right, the result will be that the rotor points in the wrong way. But if the cap HT wires are routed right, it should still run fine. Will just confound anyone not aware of the screw-up that took place before.

1973 Pale Primrose Roadster. A nice 10-footer!
SUs, Datsun 5-speed

Was this post helpful or interesting?

Yes No Thank

Re: And They Said it Couldn't be Done #6
ssmith579 Steve Smith Ventura, CA, USA Sign in to contact 1974 MG MGB	Topic Creator (OP) Oct 1, 2014 10:03 PM Joined 9 years ago 343 Posts

Just to save myself, I'm just fixing things that I found. I just bought the car 2 months ago. It has been maintained by a shop for the past 5 years.

I think your correct on the distributor just being jammed in place. When I checked the timing with plug 1 in the 1:00 position it was probably 10 to 15 deg after TDC. I had to rotate it so plug 1 was at 3:00 to get the timing right. When I started to turn the dizzy, it just fell out.

In reply to # 2812855 by mac townsend the gear can go in lotsa ways. The distributor dog can only properly go in one way, due to the offset.

it IS POSSIBLE to cram the dog against the face of the gear, meaning it won't go in that last 3/16' and properly engage, but you can then still cinch it down and have a friction drive distributor. That will drive you nuts because it won;t act the way it should, won;t time well, and such. But nothing will pop up and say, "hey dummy, you did it wrong"

same thing with putting the gear in wrong.

Assuming you had the crank in the right position when inserting the gear (probably not a good assumption<G>--there are instructions in the shop manual for this) if you hook up drive dog right, the result will be that the rotor points in the wrong way. But if the cap HT wires are routed right, it should still run fine. Will just confound anyone not aware of the screw-up that took place before.

Was this post helpful or interesting?

Yes No Thank

Re: And They Said it Couldn't be Done #7
ErnieY Ernie Y Albatera, Alicante, Spain Sign in to contact 1976 MG MGB GT	Oct 2, 2014 12:06 AM Top Contributor Joined 12 years ago 19,528 Posts

In reply to # 2812839 by ssmith579 I thought the distributor drive shaft could only go in 2 ways???

That's perfectly correct, you can put it in the right way and the wrong way !

Was this post helpful or interesting?

Yes No Thank

Topic List Forum List Newer Older Start New Topic

To reply or ask your own question:

or

Registration is FREE and takes less than a minute

Forums

Having trouble posting or changing forum settings?
Read the Forum Help (FAQ) or contact the webmaster

Re: And They Said it Couldn't be Done #2
Nicecar Gary (ex "Harv") G Victoria, BC, Canada Sign in to contact 1980 MG MGB "Red On Red On Red"	Oct 1, 2014 09:22 PM Joined 13 years ago 8,390 Posts

Re: And They Said it Couldn't be Done #3
sockit eric nelson Southaven, MS, USA Sign in to contact	Oct 1, 2014 09:26 PM Joined 13 years ago 232 Posts

MGB & GT Forum

And They Said it Couldn't be Done

To reply or ask your own question:Members Sign InorCreate an AccountRegistration is FREE and takes less than a minute

To reply or ask your own question:

or

Registration is FREE and takes less than a minute